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Ask Your Mom if I’m Real by Lani Lynn Vale | Book Review

Dec. 10, 2024

Ask Your Mom if I'm Real by Lani Lynn Vale | Book Review

I knew this book was going to get to me emotionally and honestly spiritually. Make sure you have your tissues on hand for this one because I don't care if you are a brand new reader or a long time reader of Lani Lynn Vale, this one is going to bring you to tears. It will redeem itself though so stick with it.

Ask Your Mom if I’m Real by Lani Lynn Vale | Book Reviewfive-stars
Ask Your Mom If I’m Real by Lani Lynn Vale
Series: The Heroes of the Dixie Wardens MC #8.5
Genres: Romantic Suspense

Dixie + Mary

Dixie met Mary in a bar in the middle of nowhere. He knew the moment she served him “whatever the hell she wanted to” that she was the one.

That day, he takes her from her abusive life and gives her everything she’s ever wanted.

For thirty-one years, they’re married. For thirty-one years, he worships the ground she walks on. For thirty-one years, she makes him the happiest man on the planet.

They have babies. They lose babies. They laugh and they love. They’ve fought and they’ve struggled.

But nothing prepares him for the day she leaves him. The day that his life ends, and he goes on existing, waiting for the day that he can join her again.

Join Dixie as he remembers the love of his life in this heartbreaking story that speaks of love and loss and finally, a happily ever after.

Jeremiah + Merriam

Jeremiah Dixon has a way with words.

In the professional hockey world, he’s known as Mr. Suave. The man who always says the right thing and can charm the pants off of anyone.

Of course, when a damsel in distress falls into his arms after practice, he can’t stop himself from pursuing her. Who wouldn’t instantly fall in love with a woman who looked like Merriam Kennedy did?

She was beautiful, fierce, and everything he’s ever wanted in a woman.

They fall in love with each other over wings and beer. But before he can get her number, she leaves and takes his heart with her.

As luck would have it, he runs into her a few days later. She’s still as beautiful as ever, with a sizable bruise on her face and defeat haunting her eyes.

He tries to break through her walls, but she’s adamant that she can make it on her own.

Until, that is, her abusive father threatens her baby girl. Then she has no other choice but to run into a blizzard on Christmas Eve to escape him. And she knows just where to go.

To him. Jeremiah Dixon—the man that her heart and soul know is the one meant to fix all the broken things inside of her.

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Other books from this Author Hail Mary , Quit Your Pitchin', Too Bad So Sad, Mess Me Up, Trash Talkin'

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Dixie and Mary Teaser

my review


Two or three pages in and I felt like I hated Lani Lynn Vale. I even sent her a message on Instagram telling her. I was so angry but like I said I knew that Dixie’s story was going to be sad. If you have been a reader of the Dixie Wardens MC series you know he lost his wife years ago and this is their story.

I just wasn’t ready for it. I wasn’t ready for reality to hit me in the face. I love Dixie. He’s one of the side characters that always makes you smile. He is larger than life in a way that makes you wish you had a Dixie in your life. The women always describe him as looking like Santa.

That being said the story of Dixie and Mary ….. just wow! I love how they met. It was just so Dixie. The fact that all it took was a look makes the hopeless romantic in me just sing with joy. Their entire story was both joyful and sad. By the end I was in tears but also a bit hopeful. A love like Dixie and Mary never happens for some people and for those that it does only ends one way.

Dix Teaser

I spent a good ten minutes having the worst sort of ugly cry before I started Jeremiah and Merriam’s story. It was just the right amount of uplifting to counterbalance the first part of the book. Also, Lani Lynn Vale, I saw what you did! It could not have been better!

Jeremiah is a hockey star with plenty of money to burn and a traumatic family history. Merriam is struggling to get out from under her abusive father. She has the cutest little girl and I love the connection Jeremiah has to them both instantly.

He knew they were people who needed to be in his life and that he would help any way he could. His family and hockey friends are all wonderful. I love how his family is all up in each other’s business all the time. If you have siblings you know how that can be. It’s just how siblings are, they know no boundaries.

I also love that their story takes place in Oklahoma which is a different location for us long time readers. Usually we are in Texas, Alabama,or Louisiana with the occasional trip to Florida. So this was new territory.

I take back the maybe hating LLV because I love Jeremiah, Merriam, and Anleigh so much. I love what they represent even more. While part one hits you with all the sadness and feels of pain , part two hits you with hope, joy, and the reminder that love is eternal. This is quite simply the perfect book to remind us of all those we miss on Christmas and all those we have yet to met. It is the perfect end to the year.


more in series


If you haven’t read any of Lani Lynn Vale’s books yet then this is the perfect series to start with. While it is not her first series it does contain many characters that you will read about in future series. There are so many wonderful books in this series. it is the one series that is hard for me to pick just one or two books that I like the best.

The Heroes of the Dixie Wardens MC Series Banner

US: https://amzn.to/41w5Fo7
UK: https://amzn.to/49eb5pi
CA: https://amzn.to/41jSMwW
AU: https://amzn.to/49cRoyh
B&N: https://bit.ly/4icTvX0
Kobo: https://bit.ly/4ihHlMG
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3BaGPz7


meet the author


five-stars

About Lani Lynn Vale

Lani Lynn Vale is a USA Today Bestselling Author of over thirty titles. She is married with three children, two dogs, two cats, a donkey, and a couple (a couple also meaning over twenty) chickens.

When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up in her favorite chair reading.

Lani is married with three children, and lives in the Great State of Texas.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

Category: Review Tags: Favorite Author, Favorite Series, Give Me Books Promotions

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. bn100 says

    January 5, 2025 at 3:15 pm

    interesting title

    Reply
  2. heather says

    January 6, 2025 at 9:32 am

    The title of this one has me curious.

    Reply
  3. Dreaa Drake says

    January 6, 2025 at 10:37 pm

    Love the title sounds like an amazing book!

    Reply
  4. Nancy says

    January 7, 2025 at 1:30 am

    Sounds incredible. Visually appealing.

    Reply

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The Big Read Take Two
NOW LIVE! Hate To Love Him by Teagan Kade is avail NOW LIVE! Hate To Love Him by Teagan Kade is available now + read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
 
What happens when the man you're determined to destroy starts feeling like the one you were always meant to find?
 
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Add to your Goodreads TBR ➩ https://t.ly/JI6uM
 
I spent years rebuilding myself after he destroyed me.
He doesn't even remember my name.
The last person I expect to see lying ass-up on my waxing table after losing a bet is Vader Williams.
Unfortunately, the boy who made my high school years a living hell has grown into one of the most powerful men in New York.
Billionaire.
Former NHL star.
Professional heartbreaker.
And apparently, he has no memory of the girl he used to call 'Phat-Ass Amy.'
Good.
Because while he's busy handing me his personal number and inviting me into his world, I'm busy planning my revenge.
And when I discover cracks in his perfect public image, I decide to get close enough to expose him.
Very close.
There's only one problem.
The man I'm getting to know isn't the boy I remember. He's smarter. Lonelier. More complicated than he has any right to be.
I tell myself it doesn't matter, that revenge doesn't care about chemistry.
But falling for him? That was never part of the plan.
Because what happens when the man you're determined to destroy starts feeling like the one you were always meant to find?
 
Hate To Love Him is a scorching-hot, dual-POV contemporary romance featuring simmering tension and an enemies-to-lovers story where revenge burns hot, but passion burns hotter. Guaranteed HEA, no cliffhangers, and ALL the steam.
✨TEASER: WORTH THE FIGHT by @anna_hackett_author r ✨TEASER: WORTH THE FIGHT by @anna_hackett_author releasing July 1st! 

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Are you ready for Worth the Fight? A retired assassin turned underground fighter puts it all on the line when an innocent woman is offered as the prize in a deadly fight.

Retired assassin hero

Underground fighter

Age gap

Protector hero

Found family

She needs me to fight for her.

Cole

I'm no hero. I'm a former mercenary and retired assassin. I'm rough, I live in the darkness, and keep the demons at bay by fighting in the underground Las Vegas fight rings.

Then I see her.

She's offered up as a prize. She's young, pretty, and far too innocent.

She's everything I'm not.

I'll fight for her, then I'll set her free.

And I'll keep my hands to myself...no matter how much I want to touch her.

Lili

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That businessman...he won't let me go.

Now, I'm being hunted and the only person who can keep me safe is Cole.

But I soon learn he has his own secrets, his own burning need for revenge, and I might end up caught in the crossfire.

#comingsoon #annahackett #agegapromance @theauthor.agency
Sometimes the people carrying the deepest scars ar Sometimes the people carrying the deepest scars are the ones who deserve the happiest endings. 💕

𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐥 is so much more than a romance. It's a story about healing, second chances, found family, and learning to see yourself through someone else's eyes.

And trust me—Lavender and Aunt Pip will absolutely steal your heart (and probably make you laugh out loud). ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐📚

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛:
I should’ve worn underwear that day. 

I’d have far less hate mail in my inbox. I’d also still have a job. 
 
But I didn’t wear underwear. And I had a wardrobe malfunction on a livestream. 
 
So now I’m the proud owner of the internet’s most famous… you know. 
 
The good news? I’ve been invited to hide from my sudden infamy at a closed winery with other women who’ve suffered their own five minutes of shame. 
 
The bad news? The winery has a live-in handyman. 
 
A competent, compassionate, patient, sexy, single dad handyman. 
 
Whom I met when I punched him in the face. 
 
Accidentally, of course. But I still get why he’s happy keeping his distance from me. 
 
But when we find out the winery that’s saving my life is in danger of foreclosure, he and I become accidental partners. 
 
No big deal, working with a guy that I’m falling harder for each day. 
 
I’m already the internet’s favorite punching bag. Why not add an unrequited crush to my life? 
 
But what if it’s not unrequited after all? 
 
From USA Today and Amazon #1 Bestselling Author Pippa Grant comes a funny, heartwarming, swoony romance perfect for readers who love protective book boyfriends, found sisterhoods, slow burns, epically awkward meet-cutes, and love conquering all. 
 
Content note: This book contains toxic family and references to bullying, suicide, abuse, and the off-page cancer death of the hero’s first wife several years before the story begins. 

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Emotional abuse, Anxiety / Panic attacks, Depression, Suicide #pippagrant #youvegothatemail #goneviral
𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒅.❤️

𝐇𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐧, 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. 𝐒𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫-𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐲, 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬.

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Contemporary Romance + Billionaire Romance
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬: June 25, 2026
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 / 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦: Open Door - 2 open door scenes
𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: HEA
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: None
𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Standalone, no cliffhanger.

𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞
It all starts when the power goes out, leaving me trapped in a dark elevator with a stranger.
Closed spaces don't work for me. Panic takes over.
The sexy stranger comes to my rescue. His deep voice, yummy British accent, warm shoulder to lean on, and flask of expensive whiskey is just what I need.
Embarrassment aside, what happened shouldn't matter. I'll never see him again. That's good because I'm no longer the adventurous risk-taker I was in college. Now, I'm a rule-following professional—at least that's what I tell myself.

𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭
Her wavy, auburn hair, sparkling emerald eyes, and perfect curves mesmerize me.
When she panics, my instinct is to protect her. That is until she snuggles against me and sparks fly, making me want much, much more.
I regret not getting her mobile number. It shouldn't bother me. I'm not looking for a relationship. And she doesn't seem like the type for a fling.
To my surprise, she turns up unexpectedly. I'm relieved and thrilled. But she pushes me away.
What's up with that?

Link to Order is in Book Buzz in Bio

#MaskedSecrets #LiteraryMedia
❤️𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐯 ❤️𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 #𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝!

Her fortune wasn't supposed to be her fate.

Emelia
Drunkenly folding my way into a future with the hottest goalie in the league wasn't how I intended to spend Saturday night, but here we are.

Clearly, my besties should not be in charge of Girl's Night activities.

One cootie catcher later, and Royce Elliot is determined to make this wild prediction a reality.

I'm absolutely not interested. Until I am.

He's supposed to be my client, not the man I can't resist.

But with every touch and every kiss, this feels less like a game…
and more like forever.

Royce
I know hockey, not how to win over a stubborn, fiercely independent publicist.

But the second I meet Emelia Jónsson, I stop caring about shutouts.
I care about her.

She says her fortune teller doesn't mean anything—that it's just a childish game.
I say fate handed me an opening, and I'm not going to miss my shot.

I didn't expect her to ignite the way she does for me.
And I never imagined I’d fall this hard, this fast.

She swears this can't happen.
She's wrong.

I'm not backing down until she admits the truth.
This was never just a game.
It was always destiny.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 
✔️ Rom-Com
✔️ Band of Besties
✔️ Hockey Romance
✔️ Age Gap
✔️ Instalove
✔️ Opposites Attract

❤️ 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞→ https://mybook.to/UnfortunateGames
#instaloveinfluencers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This one was SO much fun. 🔥 🏍️ MC rom ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one was SO much fun. 🔥

🏍️ MC romance
🔧 Badass mechanic heroine
❤️ Hero falls first
🚗 Fast cars
👊 Found family

Riley broke down outside the Redline Kings' garage and immediately put Gauge in his place. I loved her from that moment on.

Gauge knew she was carrying secrets, but he never pushed harder than she could handle. Once he decided she belonged with him, that was it.

The garage crew, the returning characters, the action, and the romance reminded me why this is one of my favorite MC series.

#BookReview #Bookstagram #BookBlogger #RomanceBooks #MCRomance #MotorcycleClubRomance #AlphaHero #FoundFamily #StrongHeroine #FastCars #InstaLove #RomanticSuspense #RedlineKings #RomanceReader #BooksBooksBooks #MustReadRomance #TBR #StoriedConversation

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